Love Blinds? Winners, In-Party Favoritism, and Support for Violations of Democratic Norms
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19213614 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yu-Shiuan Huang (0009-0009-3197-4629, National Chengchi University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 56 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-1234 • E-ISSN: 1469-2112 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0007123426101574 |
| OpenAlex | W7160655423 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 54 |
Why are electoral winners more willing to support democratic norm violations? Using a mediator blockage survey experiment in the United States, I find that winners endorse norm erosion due to heightened in-party favoritism following their party’s electoral victory. The experiment successfully manipulated in-party favoritism, the mediator, demonstrating that respondents exposed to a winning signal, suggesting their party is likely to secure both the presidency and control of Congress, exhibit greater in-party favoritism. This increase significantly predicts a greater tendency to perceive norm-eroding policies, such as banning protests or disqualifying candidates, as democratic and to support these policies. Additionally, winners are less likely to evaluate these policies through a lens of strategic political calculation, that is, whether these policies benefit their party directly or indirectly, challenging the prevailing view that winners tolerate norm violations for instrumental reasons
Control (management) · Democracy · Norm (philosophy) · Politics · Presidency · Presidential system · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Gender Politics and Representation · Media Influence and Politics
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |